


The Lighthouse

by princessdianaofthemiscyra



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Bellamy and lexa friendship, Clarke is a puppy, Clarke is mute for most of it tbh, Clarke saves lexa's gay ass, Clexa, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Sharing a Bed, its basically a gay modern little mermaid au no one asked for, lexa is angsty, lexa lives in a lighthouse cause she's extra and loves the ocean, lexa's in the navy, linctavia and anya are there too, side linctavia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-07-23 22:20:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16168016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessdianaofthemiscyra/pseuds/princessdianaofthemiscyra
Summary: Lexa is used to her secluded life by the water. Ever since being discharged from the navy, she's lived in the living quarters of a lighthouse, tending to it and spending her days by the water. Although she's come to terms with her life, she can't get the memory of those haunting blue eyes out of her mind.Until, one day, when they show up at her doorstep, begging for shelter.





	1. Chapter 1

Lexa's life ended when she was twenty one.

She remembered the storm. The fire. Her crew screaming. The sharp piercing going into her gut. Falling into the water. Water filling her lungs, burning as she sunk deeper and deeper...

She remembered blue eyes.

But not just any blue. _Cerulean,_ Lexa decided. Like the ocean on a calm day, but not quite. Such a vibrant blue that Lexa could only describe as heavenly. It was her new favorite color.

Lincoln says she saw the eyes of God herself who zapped her back down when she saw that Lexa was not ready to die, giving her the strength to swim to the closest shore. Octavia told him he was crazy. Although she had no explanation herself, Lexa agreed with her.

Locals found her passed on the beach the next morning, half dead and bleeding from a wound in her abdomen. They rushed her to the nearest medic, where she woke up days later with no recollection on how she got to the sandy shores of Hawaii. The doctors told her her survival was miraculous. She was the only one from her crew that got out alive.

She was out of combat, that was for sure. Honorably discharged, they called it. It made Lexa feel useless. She was only twenty one and was making her way up the ranks. She was already a commander, and her crew was saying how she would be admiral in no time.

That was, before the rest of her crew died.

It was a tragedy. The whole country heard about it. About how a naval vessel went down during a non-wartime. How it was a complete freak accident. How the only survivor was found on the shores of Oahu, miles away from the wreck with no explanation and no recollection of how she got there.

She was hailed as a hero, a miracle. News vans and reporters were parked outside the hospital day and night to see the survivor. She even got a call from the President (which she sent to voicemail and never planned on returning. She could imagine the tweet now: "I tried to reach Commander Alexandria Woods but she refused to return my calls! Very rude!"). Everyone wanted to know how this one girl survived such a disastrous accident, while men and women twice her size and senior perished. Lexa was asking herself the same question.

She only told Lincoln and Octavia about the blue eyes. She couldn't explain it. And she sure as hell wasn't going to have some uber-Jesus freak psychoanalyze it for her on national television.

She didn't like the fame. Networks wanted to talk to her, to get the first interview of Commander Alexandria Woods, the only known survivor of the shipwreck. Lexa just wanted to go home.

Home. Where was that now? She'd lived on a ship since high school graduation, and before that, with her older brother Lincoln, who now lives with Octavia in a loud, noisy city.

Lexa always hated the city. It was too fast, too chaotic. Everyone seemed to be in a rush, with no one really stopping to appreciate the small things in life. Everyone had somewhere to be, and no time for anyone. It wasn't the life for Lexa.

She preferred the beach, obviously. That's why she joined the navy. There was something about the calm pull of the water, the salty breeze in her hair and the sand between her toes. Whenever she was near the serene blue ocean she felt safe. She felt like she was home.

So when she was given the news that her injuries were too severe to return to service, she wished she would have died on the ship, in the ocean. She would have died in her home.

-&-

Lexa loved the ocean.

She could never explain it, but she loved it. For as long as she could remember, she always wanted to be at the beach.

It probably came from her childhood. Her parents would take her and Lincoln to Cape Cod, away from the hectic Boston life, for a family vacation where they would spend day after day in the water. She would read all the mythology and books about the ocean, about Poseidon and Triton and Oceanus. About sea animals and divers and creatures that she wished she could meet.

Her favorite stories were mermaids.

("Are mermaids real, momma?" little Lexa asked, eyes wide and full of wonder.

"No one knows for certain, my love, but there is still a large part of the ocean still undiscovered by man,"

"I believe they are," Lexa said firmly. "They're magical,")

The beach was always special to Lexa. It meant family. It meant home. Her father would always say that Lexa's life began the first time she saw the ocean. It was her life. Her life that was now taken away. It killed her inside.

-&-

She stayed with Lincoln for the first few months. It drove her absolutely mad.

Of course she loved her brother and his fiancée. How could she not? Lincoln was her big brother and her best friend. Octavia was the girl who made him the happiest Lexa had ever seen him. He deserved that after the shitty life the siblings have been through.

Lincoln and Octavia doted on Lexa during her recovery period. They would be there when she woke up in their bed ("It's been so long since you slept in a big comfy bed. We'll take the guest room,") and wouldn't leave her be until she went to sleep at night. Octavia would take her dress shopping and to cake tastings and to help pick out a shit ton of things Lexa didn't care about for the wedding.

("What color do you think the napkins should be?" Octavia asked.

"Cerulean,"

"Huh, interesting choice. I was actually thinking a lilac...")

Lincoln insisted they could move the wedding until Lexa was better. Lexa refused, telling her brother that there was no way in hell that she was going to let her brother postpone his life for her. He'd already done so much. She wasn't going to keep him from marrying the girl he loved any longer.

She would do the same, if it was possible. Her one love was the sea, but that was taken from her.

All the attention was too much. Lexa has always been one to keep to herself, Lincoln knew that, but god, he was always there. It was starting to get on Lexa's nerves.

("Jesus Lex, you almost died. Forgive me for wanting to love my little sister who could have been taken from me,")

Surprisingly, the one person who gave her kind of attention and space she wanted was Octavia's brother, Bellamy. He would sneak her away from the bride-zilla to be and they would drive. Nowhere in particular, but just drive. Sometimes they would go to the banks of the Charles River and sit. Other times they would ride around Boston and listen to music (the old kind, not any of the new pop crap). They never talked to each other, but just enjoy the silence.

(Octavia told her about Gina, how she died when Lexa was away, and how Bellamy never really got over it.)

They were both hurting. For different reasons, but still hurting. Even though they never really talked besides the typical "We're leaving," or "Change this song, I hate it," or sometimes "Oh shit it's late, Octavia's probably losing her mind," Lexa considered Bellamy a friend.

So, at the wedding reception at midnight, when Bellamy asked her to leave with him, she wondered if she was giving him mixed signals.

They sat in his car, driving away from the city lights. It wasn't anything different from their usual outings, but for some reason (Lexa blamed it on the romance of the wedding), Lexa felt like he was going to make a move.

"You know I'm gay, right?" she blurted out during the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter." The previous half hour had been spent in silence, with only the radio on in the background.

Bellamy smirked. "Of course I do, Commander."

"So... you're not trying to bed me?"

"Bed you? C'mon. No. You're my best friend. My bro. My Brolexa,"

"Please never call me that again,"

They drove the rest of the way in silence. It was calming for Lexa. About an hour later, the pair pulled up at a small beach, illuminated by a lighthouse.

Lexa inhaled the scent. The salty ocean breeze. The wind in her hair. The sound of waves crashing on the shore. The tide glowing in the moonlight as the sea stretched on for miles, calling her. Welcoming her home.

"Like what you see, Woods?" Bellamy chuckled, observing the veteran as she looked as though she just saw the gates of heaven.

"I missed this," Lexa sighed. "Thank you for taking me here, but why so far away?"

"Cause I came here to kill you,"

Lexa smirked, which then fell once she saw Bellamy's stoic expression. "Huh?"

Bellamy cracked a smile. "Just kidding, Woods. I'm a high school history teacher, not a murderer," He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, loosening his tie. "I knew how much you missed the ocean. A friend of mine told me that the woman who owns that lighthouse over there has been looking for a new tenant. It's yours if you want it,"

Lexa's jaw went slack. "I- what?"

"Course you would have to do some work. Monitor the lighthouse, catch fish and whatnot. But you're by the ocean twenty-four seven. I talked to Linc and since it's not too far-"

He never got to finish because Lexa ran up to hug him. It was weird to Bellamy; they've never hugged before. But he welcomed it.

"Thank you," she whispered. Bellamy smiled sadly.

"One of us should be happy,"

Lexa thought her life ended when she was twenty one. At twenty two, she was starting to question that claim.

-&-

Lexa had fallen into a set routine.

Wake up, go for a run, eat, do her job, take a nap, wake up, swim, shower, eat, read, sleep. On Mondays and Fridays she fished, Tuesdays and Thursdays she clammed, and on Wednesdays she caught lobsters. Sundays she went into the town a few miles down the road and sold her week supply to the local shopkeep, Anya. Saturday she sailed.

Saturday was her favorite day. It was just her and the ocean, going on for miles and miles. She would spend the whole day sailing, using the stars at night to help get her back to her lighthouse.

Lincoln and Octavia visited her once a month, coming from Boston to her small, secluded area in Cape Cod. They would spend the day with her, coming before sunrise and leaving when the sky was pitch black. Besides the two of them (and Anya), Lexa was completely alone.

(In the beginning, Bellamy would visit from time to time, but eventually, he fell in love again.

"You happy, Commander?" he asked her before he moved away with his new girlfriend, Echo.

"I am. Are you?"

"Yes. Finally,")

About a year after Lexa moved into the lighthouse, Octavia announced that she was pregnant, and nine months later, Lexa had a nephew.

Besides Forest (Lexa gave Lincoln hell for this name. Forest Woods? Really?), the routine was hardly interrupted. Lexa enjoyed it. She enjoyed having a routine, knowing exactly what would happen with her day and where her life was going. It gave her peace of mind.

Nightmares would come often. They always were the same. The storm. The screaming. The piercing pain. Drowning.

And then the blue eyes. She would see them briefly, before jolting awake. They were always there. So real. So lifelike. Lexa feels like they were peering into her soul.

It was one September night where Lexa was kept awake with a storm. It was fiercer than usual, thunder shaking the house as the rain pelted down. Lexa heard the waves crashing against the rocks, the lighting cracking overhead.

It was a storm like this where the shipwreck happened.

Lexa felt frazzled. She went downstairs to make a cup of tea to calm herself down. Storms here have never been this intense. Lexa had never encountered a storm like this since that night. Her heart was beating frantically as she took deep, ragged breaths. She closed her eyes and gripped the counter as she steadied her breathing. In and out. In and out.

_Knock knock knock._

At first Lexa didn't hear it; she thought it was an effect from the storm.

_Knock knock knock._

The second time made Lexa's ears perk up. Huh?

_Knock knock knock._

OK, that was definitely something at the door. Lexa glanced at a clock. It was 3:07. What the fuck would be knocking at her door this late? Especially in a storm like this.

_Knock knock knock._

Hesitantly, Lexa walked towards the door. She was wary of what would be behind it at this time.

_Knock knock-_

Lexa flew open the door and gasped.

Those eyes. The ones that she'd been dreaming about for so long. They were there. After three years. Those blue eyes.

No, not blue.

Cerulean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! this is my first take on a clexa fan fiction, let me know what you think! also you can check out my Tumblr princessdianaofthemiscyra


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow thank you all so much for your comments and feedback! so glad you enjoy this :)

They were there, curious and soft. They belonged to a girl around Lexa’s age, hair damp and clinging to her face. Lexa stood in the doorway, wide-eyed and surprised. Her jaw went slack as she stared into the blue eyes, warmth filling her belly as her heart rate increased. Lincoln was wrong. She didn’t see the eyes of God when she drowned. She saw the face of an angel.

Lightning crackled above, snapping Lexa out of her (gay) gaze. The girl in the doorway shivered slightly, rubbing her hands over her bare arms. It was then that Lexa realized what the girl was wearing… or rather, not wearing.

She was covered in what looked like a glorified fishnet tied together with a rope. Lexa’s first instinct was to chastise her. Isn’t she cold? Even though it was still technically summer, Massachusetts nights freeze over. 

After a roll of thunder brought Lexa back to earth, she realized she should get this poor girl out of the storm. She grabbed the girl’s hands ( _oh my God, why are they so soft?_ was Lexa’s first thought) and pulled her into the room. The girl looked at her and smiled, teeth beginning to chatter.

“What were you doing out there?” Lexa asked the girl, locking the door behind her. When she got no answer, she looked over at the stranger.

The girl looked around the room in awe, marveling at the interior. Lexa felt heat rise to her cheeks. Her house was boring. There were little to no decorations besides a couple of old photos on the shelves and cruddy finger paintings on the fridge Forest “gifted” to her at his last visit. The girl didn’t seem to care. She took everything in with curiosity and astonishment.

“Um, hello?” Lexa coughed. The girl spun around, flashing a huge smile at Lexa. Right then, Lexa forgot everything. The only thing she could think of was those blue eyes. The ones right in front of her. Words started tumbling out of her mouth like word vomit (the only reason she knows that term is because Octavia forced her to watch _Mean Girls,_ which she will never admit that she enjoyed)

(“It’s October 3rd!” Octavia announced one morning while Lexa was still living with her.

“Okay?” Lexa said, not getting the significance.

“'Okay?' This is great! I chose to wear pink and everything,”

“Why?”

Octavia raised her eyebrows at Lexa. “Are you serious? It’s _Mean Girls_ day!”

“Oh,” Lexa shrugged. “Never seen it,”

“You’ve never-?! LINCOLN! You failed at raising your sister!”)

“How did you get here? Are-are you alright? Why did you save me? D-did you- I mean, I was in Hawaii, and this is the other side of the country. Fuck, it’s like the other side of the world- and-and-” 

The girl placed her hands on Lexa’s shoulders, steadying her. Lexa’s breath hitched in her throat. “I-I-”

The girl opened her mouth as if to speak, but then furrowed her brow in frustration and closed it.

“No, go on,” Lexa beckoned. The girl pressed her lips into a thin line in annoyance and shrugged.

“You- what?” Lexa was confused. Then she noticed that she was standing in her living room at three in the morning with a girl who was basically naked, all while Lexa was rambling about her past accidents.

“You know what? You should take a bath,” Lexa blurted out. The girl cocked her head to the side. 

“Not because you stink!” Lexa rushed out, cheeks flustering. “I mean, you must be cold from the rain and um, I can get you dry clothes or something! Cause it’s late and um, yo-you-”

The girl cut Lexa off by holding her hand up, giving her a reassuring smile. Lexa let out a sigh. “I’m sorry. People don’t usually show up at my house in the middle of the night. I’m new at this,”

After leading the girl to her bathroom and giving her an old pair of Lincoln’s sweats and t-shirt, Lexa sat outside the door, a million thoughts running through her head.

Without really thinking, Lexa slapped herself in the face. She winced. _Not a dream._

So a random girl really showed up at her doorstep at three in the morning. Go figure. 

Her first instinct was to call Lincoln. Bellamy. Octavia. Her old high school principal. _Someone._ But she knew what they would say. They would tell her that she had a death wish for inviting this stranger into her house, that the girl could be a serial killer for all she knows. 

Lexa didn’t think the girl could be a serial killer. But then again, Ted Bundy was also supposed to be ridiculously attractive (if you were into that kind of stuff).

She didn’t realize how much time passed until she looked at the clock. It had been about an hour since she left the girl alone. Oh god, what if she drowned?

Lexa sprung up, knocking on the door. “Um, are you alright?”

She opened the door slightly, peering in. The girl looked up at her and smiled, buried under a mountain of bubbles. Lexa was taken aback. She was just… sitting there.

The girl raised her arm as if to reach for Lexa. Immediately, Lexa surged forward, before stopping herself. 

Why was she drawn to this stranger? Lexa never felt some sort of connection like this with anyone. It was something she couldn’t explain. It just seemed… right.

God, she was thinking like a crazy person. She didn’t even know the girl’s name. 

Lexa found herself sitting next to the girl in the tub, who was smiling at Lexa like she was the whole damn world and not just some random person who took her in from a storm. Lexa looked down at the floor, ears red. When she looked up the girl was looking at her, curiosity etched across her face. It made Lexa turn even redder.

“I forgot to give you shampoo,” Lexa said, before mentally facepalming. Why. _Why_ did she say that. 

The girl watched her as she got up and pulled bottles from the shower. When she handed them to the blonde she watched as the girl opened them, only to squirt the liquid into her eyes.

O...kay?

 

The girl slapped her hands over her eyes and rubbed, squirming and sloshing water over the side of the tub. She threw the bottle away from her, barely missing Lexa’s head.

Lexa didn’t know what to think besides that this girl was either insane or homeless. Or both. Or she had a scenario like that Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett movie where she looked like an adult but was actually an infant.

Lexa retrieved the bottle and sat down next to the girl, whose eyes were now red from the soap. Lexa was not sure what the hell was going on, but she put a drop of shampoo in the palm of her hand. 

“Here, go under,”

 

The girl tilted her head to the side before looking down at the water. Lexa nodded. Then the girl sank down rather quickly, submerging herself. Lexa didn’t know what to do when she didn’t immediately come back up. 

Lexa sat there, cross legged on her bathroom floor with shampoo in her hand while this complete stranger was doing a breath holding competition with literally no one. Why was Lexa doing this? Why did this stranger make her feel weird? 

_It’s the eyes,_ Lexa thought. _They’re making me act insane_

There’s no way her accident had anything to do with this stranger. It was just Lexa’s sleep deprived and frazzled brain. Besides, her accident took place off the coast of Hawaii. They were on Cape Cod. 

There’s no way. Lexa was being delusional. 

She was snapped back to reality when the girl broke surface, splashing Lexa in the process. The girl was coughing and sputtering with a shocked look on her face, almost as if she was surprised she couldn’t breathe underwater… 

This was officially the weirdest nights of Lexa’s life. And she survived navy bootcamp. 

-&-

It was about five in the morning when Lexa finally got the girl washed and settled. She decided to let the girl sleep in her bed (to which the girl responded to with, no surprise, curiosity.) Lexa found her rolling around and smiling to herself on the bed like it was the funniest thing she’d ever seen in her whole life. Then she saw Lexa staring at her and reached for her again, as if asking for her to lay down.

When Lexa refused, the girl pouted, but didn’t argue when Lexa helped her underneath the sheets. She smiled up at Lexa when she wished her good night, causing Lexa’s heart rate to increase. 

That’s why Lexa was sitting on her couch now, staring at the wall as she tried to go over the events of the night. Her mind was in a blank. She literally feels like what happened to her was bizarre. Her thoughts were incoherent, probably due to her lack of sleep. But she couldn’t sleep. Her brain was tired but her body was not, so she was in this weird limbo where she didn’t know what to do. Her body seemed to be acting for her brain, because she ended up at her bookshelf in the living room, scanning through her books. Her collection had grown tremendously over the years, starting from her favorite childhood stories to books she recently read (“The Library of Alexandria” Bellamy jokingly called it). Reading was Lexa’s other favorite pastime (besides sailing), and because she spent most of her days alone, she had a lot of time for it.

Her hands were pulling out a book Bellamy sent her at Christmastime. Bellamy, now a professor of history at Clarke University in Iowa, was always sending her books on American history or fairy tales, given that they were two of Lexa’s favorite subjects. She ran her hand around the cover of the book.

_The Little Mermaid_ by Hans Christian Andersen.

After contemplating for a while, she put the book back, settling for another book Bellamy gave her. A book of poems by Sappho.

She sat back down on the couch and opened to the first page. She figured that the poems would help bring her mind away from the events of the night.

She didn’t know when she fell asleep, but Lexa woke up to sunny skies and the girl sitting in a chair next to her, blue eyes peering down at Lexa. Lexa jolted up, temporarily forgetting that the girl was there. The blonde jumped back, startled by Lexa’s reaction.

“I’m sorry,” Lexa yawned, stretching. The girl cocked her head at the sound of Lexa’s bones popping. “You hungry?”

She walked to the kitchen while she waited for an answer, forgetting that her guest had yet to speak a word. Maybe she was a mute. Lexa didn’t mind that. Her two year old nephew had also yet to speak to her.

(“Shouldn’t he be speaking by now?” Lexa asked her brother as she watched the toddler play in the sand with his mother.

“They say he’ll talk when he’s ready. One in a blue moon he’ll whisper things to Octavia, but he’s pretty much quiet to everyone else. Including me,” Lincoln sighed. “The doctors say it’s called selective mutism,”)

Lexa came back with two bowls of cereal and coffee. She set the items down on the table when she saw that her guest was looking at Lexa’s collection of books. Or, more specifically, the pictures on the bookshelf.

“That’s my brother,” Lexa said, walking over towards the girl. She flinched, looking at Lexa guiltily as if she was caught doing something bad.

 

“No it’s okay,” Lexa gave her a reassuring smile. She picked up the photo the girl was looking at. 

“This is me and my brother, Lincoln. He’s about five years older than me. He works in Boston,” Lexa smiled fondly at the memory in the photo. Teenage Lexa’s eyes were so full of hope, proudly wearing her new uniform, ready to serve her country. The memory was bittersweet. “This was before I went off for training. I was a commander in the navy,”

The girl nodded slowly, eyes drifting to another photo, one of Lexa and Bellamy. It was a goofy photo, taken at Bellamy’s wedding a few months back where Lexa was carrying Bellamy bridal style as Echo jokingly looked on disapprovingly. Bellamy convinced Lexa to wear a tux to the occasion since she was his best man.

(“C’mon, Lex. Let Fine Stud Lexa make an appearance,”

“Who the fuck is ‘Fine Stud Lexa?’”)

“That’s Bellamy, my best friend. He’s a professor at Clarke University,”

The girl’s eyes lit up as she grabbed Lexa’s wrist. Lexa, startled by the motion, almost dropped the photo of her and Lincoln. “What’s wrong?”

The girl pointed at the picture from the wedding.

“Bellamy?” The girl shook her head, moving her hand in a rotation motion as if to say _“after that.”_

“He’s a professor?” The girl huffed, moving her hands more.

“At Clarke?” The girl’s eyes lit up again, nodding furiously. Lexa nodded as if she understood, but really, she did not.

“Okay… did you go to Clarke?” The girl’s face fell, shaking her head. She then pointed towards herself.

“You’re Clarke? Oh! Your name is Clarke,” Lexa concluded. The girl, um, Clarke, nodded happily. “That’s such a… strange coincidence. I’m Lexa. I guess we never formally introduced each other,”

Clarke smiled. Lexa was almost tempted to ask if her face ever hurt because she smiled so damn much. She led Clarke back to the couch, handing her the bowl of cereal. Clarke looked at it briefly, before diving in with her hands. Lexa’s mouth fell open. This girl was full of surprises. 

“Wait! Here,” Lexa handed her a spoon. Clarke took it gingerly, examining it. She then looked at Lexa, who was eating with the spoon and looking at Clarke wondering what was going on.  
Clarke copied Lexa’s movement, bringing the spoon to her mouth and chewing. She seemed content. 

Lexa was fucking appalled. This girl was acting like she’d never eaten Frosted Flakes before. Hell, she’s acting like she’d never done anything before.

“So, um,” Lexa started, taking a sip of coffee. “Where did you come from?”

Clarke copied Lexa drinking and took a sip from her mug, which she then spit out and gagged.

“Oh, sorry,” Lexa said, taking away the cup. “I take mine black. Linc said that not a lot of people like it that way. I have milk and sugar?” Clarke shook her head, grimacing at the cup. She turned back to the cereal.

“So where did you come from?” Lexa tried again. Clarke looked up, motioning towards the door. “Yes, I know you came from outside, but where from outside?”

Clarke motioned again to the door, only Lexa realized it wasn’t towards the door. It was towards a window that faced the ocean.

“The water?” Lexa’s eyes widened. “Were you shipwrecked? Are you hurt? Are you the only survivor too?” Clarke seemed overwhelmed by the sudden attack of questions. Lexa paused, seeing how Clarke looked like a deer in headlights. “Sorry. I’m sorry. Let me start over. Are you hurt?” Clarke shook her head.

“Were you shipwrecked?” Another no.

“But you came from the water?” Clarke nodded.

“Huh,” Lexa paused. “Okay. Do you know where you’re going? Like, do you have somewhere to stay?” 

Clarke paused, spoon halfway to her mouth. She shook her head. Lexa nodded slowly. “Okay then…”

The two of them sat silently for a while. Lexa rubbed the back of her neck. She was conflicted. First of all, she doesn’t know this girl. She just showed up in the middle of the night. Second of all, Lexa has been living alone for the past three years, so she doesn’t know how she would work with a roommate. And there’s only one bedroom. 

But Lexa has always, always been someone who helps people. 

(“My little Lexie,” her father used to say. “Such a good kid. You have such a big heart,”

Lexa came up to him with a seagull with a broken wing, begging her father for help. Dr. Woods explained to her that he was not a vet and that there was nothing that he could do.

“Then I’ll do it myself,” Lexa declared stubbornly. At ten years old, she knew that she wanted to spend her life dedicated to serving and helping people who needed it. That’s why she felt her calling to military services after high school.)

She realized that in the past couple years, she chose a life of solitary over a life of helping people that younger her initially wanted. She looked at Clarke, who sat there on her couch in Lincoln’s oversized clothes, eating cereal like it’s the ambrosia of the gods, whose blue eyes shone like the Caribbean sea.

“Do you want to stay with me? Until things are figured out?”

Clarke grinned at her with her mouth full, nodding. It made Lexa laugh.

“You’re funny, Clarke. Really. I’ve never met anyone like you,” Clarke beamed at this.

-&-

“So she literally shows up at your door in the middle of the night, and your first instinct is to invite her in?” Anya asked, face disapproving. Lexa brought Clarke to town, even though it wasn’t a Sunday. She needed advice.

Anya was Lexa’s closest friend in town. She was the owner of the local market and the person Lexa supplied with her hauls. 

Clarke was roaming around the store, looking down the aisles with wonder.

“Anya, there was a storm. I wasn’t gonna leave her outside in the rain,”

“I would’ve,”

_“An,”_

“Alright, alright. You’re lucky you’re alive, kid. If it were me you would be dead,”

“Thanks,”

Anya looked over Lexa’s shoulder at Clarke, who currently had her hand on the glass of the lobster tank, giggling to herself. 

“What’s wrong with her?” Anya asked.

“There’s nothing wrong,” Lexa insisted. “She just doesn’t talk. And everything seems to intrigue her,”

“So she’s like a newborn,”

“No,” Lexa pursed her lips. “I don’t know. It’s not like that,”

“A puppy, then,”

“Stop.” Anya chuckled at Lexa’s reaction.

“You haven’t even known her for twenty four hours,”

“But I know,” Lexa looked over at Clarke, who waved and smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with her. She’s just different,”

“Yeah, okay,” Anya smirked. “Just in case, I’ll call the local insane asylums to see if anyone escaped,”

“You’re no help,”

“Hey, you’re the one who came to me, Commander,” Anya chuckled. “Relax, she seems harmless. A little kooky, but harmless,”

-&-

Lexa was almost asleep on the couch when she heard the stairs creak. She lifted her head off the pillow to see Clarke standing in the doorway of the living room.

“Hey,” Lexa rubbed her eyes. “Are you okay?” 

Clarke just shrugged, sitting down on the couch by Lexa’s feet. She idly fiddled with her fingers, as if she were anxious.

‘What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?” Clarke shook her head. Lexa shifted so that she was sitting up and facing Clarke. “You can tell me,”

Lexa paused at her choice of words. _Stupid._ “I mean, you don’t have to say anything, if you don’t want to. I respect that. But, just wondering… is this… a choice?”

Clarke shrugged.

“So… not a choice?” Clarke shrugged again. She moved so now that she was hovering over Lexa, which caused Lexa’s breath to catch in her throat. Clarke’s eyes peered into Lexa’s, Lexa feeling as if Clarke was looking into her very essence, before laying down next to her.

It was hard for the two of them to lay together on the small couch, but somehow they fit. Clarke grinned up at Lexa before burying her face into Lexa’s neck.

If you told Lexa that a gorgeous mute girl would show up at her door wearing barely anything, Lexa would have called you insane. If you said that said girl would then convince Lexa to have her stay with her indefinitely and sleeping next to her, Lexa would have you get drug tested.

But there was something about this girl that made Lexa feel almost giddy. It was strange. She was never one to be one of those giggling schoolgirls with the high ponytails and bubble gum. But being around this girl made her feel like rainbows where shooting out of her mouth, kind of like that Snapchat filter Octavia insisted Lexa used once. It was like there was a spell around Clarke, one that made you feel like everything was okay. Lexa didn’t mind that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah I know Clarke is acting out of character, that will be addressed later  
> come bug me at princessdianaofthemiscyra on Tumblr


	3. Chapter 3

Lexa woke up to Clarke snoring soundly in her arms. During the night, Clarke clung to Lexa like a koala, keeping her close. Lexa quietly tried to separate them, but that only made Clarke hold on tighter. When Clarke woke up, she beamed at Lexa, causing the green eyed girl to blush. 

They ate breakfast in relative silence (since Lexa didn’t talk and Clarke was… you know). When Lexa came down in her work clothes, Clarke looked up at her, taking in her appearance. She looked confused.

“I have to work today,” Lexa told her as she put on her boots. “I won’t be gone long, I’ll keep it short,” 

She got up and walked towards the door, only to be followed by Clarke. “No, stay here,” Lexa said as she opened the door. Clarke continued to follow her.

“You have to stay here,” Clarke pouted and stomped her foot. She shook her head. 

“My job is boring,” Lexa insisted. “It’s literally just me sitting in a boat, for hours. You don’t want to go through that,” 

Clarke took a hold of Lexa’s hand and judged her towards the door, attitude persistent. Lexa sighed. 

“Fine, if you want to come endure the boredom, you’re gonna want to change into something warmer. It might technically still be summer but the ocean can get cold,”

The work day was a new experience for Lexa. She watched Clarke as the girl happily peered over the side of the boat as they sped towards the destination. When they stopped, Clarke looked back at Lexa, eyes sparking and face glowing red from the wind burn. She clapped with delight. Lexa tried not to laugh over the adorableness of it (she failed). 

Clarke sat in the control center of the boat, watching Lexa work through the glass. She sat in the chair near the wheel, spinning around and laughing to herself, occasionally stopping to stare at Lexa. Lexa would look back once in a while to find Clarke staring at her with interest, waving and smiling. 

The sea was calm today, which surprised Lexa. Although it was her first time on the water since Clarke arrived, she noticed that the ocean churned and thrashed with a rage, almost as it if were angry. But today the glassy surface was smooth and the breeze was light, welcoming them.

A sudden burst of sound almost made Lexa jump overboard. She turned back to look at Clarke, who was unable to be seen in the control center.

“Clarke?!” Lexa ran towards the room, seeing Clarke bent over with her hands covering her ears. She was under Lexa’s radio.

“It’s okay,” Lexa turned the dial of the speaker, Fleetwood Mac’s “Seven Wonders” filling the boat with music. Clarke looked up at her. “I forgot how loud I had it last time. Must’ve scared you. Sorry,”

Lexa exited the room, looking back to see Clarke staring at the radio with uncertainty. Lexa thought it was because of how it looked. The radio was ancient, being left on the ship by the previous owners. It wasn’t great but it did the job, so Lexa kept it, playing music when being left with just her thoughts were too much to handle.

She listened to the old stuff from the seventies and eighties, not because she was trying to be a pretentious hipster like some girls in her high school were, but because it was what the people she loved listened to. It reminded her of her parents, of her father teaching Lincoln how to play The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith on the guitar while Lexa watched, it reminded her of long car rides with Bellamy back in Boston, it reminded her of her crew goofing off on those rare occasions down in the common room of the ship, singing and dancing and getting drunk to the classic rock hits. The music reminded Lexa of love. 

(Octavia did not understand at first how music could have such a huge impact. Lexa had to remind Octavia that she requested that she gave birth to Forest as “Toxic” by Britney Spears played in the delivery room.

“I wanted him to be ushered into the world by the ballad of God!”

“I refuse to let my son come into the world that way,” Lincoln said, pinching the bridge of his nose.)

-&-

Nighttime fell when Lexa pulled into the dock. The only reason why she stayed out so late is because Clarke seemed to enjoy being on the water so much and Lexa was reluctant to see the smile leave her face. 

Clarke seemed okay. She went into the house and buried herself under a pile of blankets, obviously cold from the ocean breeze. Lexa smiled as she went to make dinner for the two of them.

When she got back, she saw Clarke with a book on her lap, only she wasn’t reading it. She was holding the book upside down, eyebrows creased. 

“What’s that?” Lexa asked, holding Clarke a bowl of zoodles (or what Octavia calls them, a disgrace). Clarke handed her the book. 

_The Little Mermaid._

“Good choice,” Lexa commented. “Although it’s much more depressing than the Disney version,”

Clarke cocked her head to the side. “The Disney movie? Ariel and Sebastian and ‘Under the Sea?’”

Clarke shook her head, confused. “Mermaids?”

The blonde girl’s eyes lit up at this. She nodded her head fervently.

“I like mermaids too,” Lexa smiled fondly. “I used to have my parents tell me the old legends as bedtime stories. Ariel was my favorite princess, well, tied with Mulan. Female warriors, I mean how could I- anyways, I feel like part of my childhood died when Bell gave me the original version of _The Little Mermaid_. He said it was based off of gay love letters from Hans Christian Andersen, but man, that book was something else.Like, Disney made me think that everything would be happily ever after, but the book was just, _sad_ ,”

Clarke took a hold of Lexa’s hand. Lexa looked up, finding her green eyes staring into Clarke’s blue ones. A warm sense filled her body. Clarke gave her a small grin and a nod of her head, asking her to continue.

“Mermaids were always my favorite legends,” Lexa said quietly. “As a kid I believed they were real. I think some small part of me still thinks that. There’s just so much of the ocean that’s undiscovered, and even though that’s terrifying, we can’t say for _certain_ that they don’t exist, right? It’s like space, I mean, how can we be for certain that there aren’t any-” Lexa paused when she saw Clarke’s shoulder shake slightly. The blonde girl was laughing at her, an amused glint in her eyes. “And you think I’m crazy,”

Clarke shook her head, still giggling. She looked at Lexa with so much adoration and… something else that it made Lexa’s head spin. She glanced down at the blonde’s lips, full and soft. She just wanted to-

_Lexa you useless lesbian._

(The voice in her head sounded like Octavia)

Lexa abruptly got up, startling Clarke in the process. “So, um, I think I have _The Little Mermaid_ movie somewhere, I’ll check the attic. That’s where I keep the VHS tapes and stuff. I was surprised when the house came with a VHS player because they’re so old, but, um, Lincoln saved all the old ones we had from our grandparents so I will be right back,”

Lexa turned on her heel and headed upstairs, not daring to look back.

(If she did, she would have seen Clarke’s disappointed face)

-&-

On Saturday Lexa sailed like she always did. Only this time, she wasn’t alone. 

Clarke eagerly sat at the front as Lexa prepared the ship for their journey. It was a bright and sunny September day, perfect for sailing. Lexa was nervous to bring Clarke, as this was her favorite thing to do. She worried that the blonde girl would be bored, or judge her or think she is boring for her hobbies

But of course, Clarke was excited. She drank in everything Lexa taught her about managing the sailboat and got the hang of it very quickly. She giggled and clapped at the passing seals and whales, pointing them out to Lexa with the awe of a child. Lexa found it adorable.

When it got dark the two of them laid side by side on the boat while Lexa showed Clarke the constellations. 

“Are you running?” Lexa asked Clarke. “When you came to me, did you run away?”

Clarke sat up, leaning on her arms; she looked conflicted.

“You can tell me, if you want. Or not. Just yes or no. I swear fealty to you, Clarke. I won’t turn you in or anything,”

Clarke gave Lexa a soft smile. She pressed their foreheads together, hand on the back of Lexa’s neck. Lexa felt a strong urge to close the gap between them, to press her lips to Clarke’s, to run her fingers through soft blonde hair. But the sea interrupted them.

A wave rocked the boat, causing the two girls to slide apart. Lexa jumped up, gripping onto one of the poles of the boat to steady herself. Lexa was blushing. She could have sworn Clarke was about to kiss her. She wouldn’t have minded, hell, Lexa would have kissed her if she wasn’t so damn nervous.

Plus, she didn’t even know if Clarke liked her like that.

“We should head back now,” Lexa said, brushing herself off before offering her hand to Clarke. Clarke (looking slightly disappointed), nodded. She stood by while Lexa brought them back to the lighthouse.

The two of them spent the remainder of the night sitting by the fireplace, Lexa reading to Clarke. She figured (since Clarke keeps holding books the wrong way) that the girl did not know how to read. Clarke fell asleep on Lexa’s shoulder some time after, and the navy veteran carried her upstairs to the bed. She laid Clarke down and turned around to leave. Clarke’s hand grabbed Lexa’s, beckoning her to lay down. It reminded Lexa of the first night Clarke stayed, only this time, something inside her urged her to do it.

When Lexa lied down Clarke gave her a sleepy smile, arms wrapping around her as she buried her face into Lexa’s neck before snoring soundly. In no time at all, Lexa was also asleep

-&-

Their days went on like that.

Lexa would take Clarke with her while she worked. On Saturday, the two sailed from sunrise to sunset. And at night, Lexa would read to Clarke from her large library collection before the two fell asleep in Lexa’s bed. Clarke didn’t complain; she enjoyed being with Lexa. The two would spend what seemed to be every moment together. Even at night, they never left each other’s sides.

Lexa wasn’t annoyed by the companionship, surprisingly. When she was with Clarke, things were different. When she was with Clarke, things felt right.

She didn’t know what to make of it.

(She also didn’t understand why Clarke kept looking at that Hans Christian Andersen book…)

Octavia and Lincoln came about two weeks after Clarke showed up at her doorstep. Lexa forgot that her brother and his family came once a month to make sure Lexa wasn’t dead.

She also forgot to tell them that Clarke was living with her, so when the family knocked on the door and Clarke answered, Octavia freaked.

“Oh my god, Linc, your sister’s been murdered,” Octavia gaped, slapping her hand over Forest’s eyes. “What have you done with Lexa?!”

“Octavia, chill out,” Lexa said, coming up behind Clarke. “I’m not dead,”

“Bummer,” 

“Love you too,” Lexa rolled her eyes. “This is Clarke,”

“Did you get married and not tell us? Cause if you did, I’m going to kill you. C’mon, you were my maid of honor! You’re Forest’s godmother! You didn’t even tell Bellamy! Alexandria Alycia Woods I am very disappointed in you!” Octavia shook her head, only half pretending.

“As you can tell, she’s dramatic as always,” Lincoln sighed. He offered Clarke his hand. “Hello Clarke, I’m Lincoln, Lexa’s brother. This is my wife, Octavia, and our son, Forest,”

Clarke looked at Lincoln’s hand, unsure what to do. Honestly, she was confused by the entire situation. Lexa (being able to read the girl very well now), ushered her family inside. 

“She hasn’t- she doesn’t speak,” Lexa told them.

“Your wife doesn’t talk to you?” Octavia asked.

“She’s not my wife,”

“Then who is she?”

“She’s my…” Lexa paused. _What were they?_ Friends? Roommates? Companions? “She’s my Clarke,”

“Wow,” Octavia cracked a smile. “You are so very gay,”

“Are those my old clothes?” Lincoln asked, eyeing Clarke’s choice of outfits. Lexa shifted on her feet. She felt kind of bad that the only things she gave Clarke to wear were a mixture of her and Lincoln’s old clothes.

“Oh no, that is not acceptable,” Octavia clicked her tongue, before thrusting her son into Lexa’s arms. “Here, watch him. You,” she pointed at Clarke, who stood there like a deer in headlights. “You’re coming with me,”

Octavia dragged Clarke out of the house, the blonde girl looking at Lexa with wide eyes full of fear.

“We’ll be back later,” Octavia called, slamming the door behind them. The two siblings and toddler were left alone.

Lincoln cleared his throat. “So, care to explain all of that?”

“I don’t know, Linc,” Lexa admitted. 

“How long has she been here?”

“Two weeks? She showed up in the middle of the night and I wasn’t going to leave her. There was a storm,”

“Wow, can’t believe you haven’t gotten annoyed by her yet,” Lincoln chuckled. “Someone’s got a crush,”

“Shut up,”

“No bad language in front of my kid,”

-&-

Lexa spent the afternoon playing with her nephew. Like Clarke, Forest did not speak. Lexa was okay with it. Since living with Clarke she was able to pick up on cues on what the little boy wanted to do. From time to time Lincoln would probe her about Clarke and their current situation. It was starting to irritate Lexa

(“For the last time _I don’t know_ how long she’s staying,”

“You haven’t even thought about the long term plans? Do you even know where she’s from?”

“I… I don’t need your judgement!”)

Clarke and Octavia came back around dinner time, a car full of shopping bags. Octavia looked proud of her accomplishment, gushing to her husband and sister-in-law about their trip.

“Oh my god, she was like a little doll. She had no idea what to buy so I got to pick out everything! Now she doesn’t have to wear those ugly large clothes.”

“Those were my old clothes,” Lincoln remarked.

“Yes, but your clothes before you met me,” Octavia flipped her hair. “There’s a reason why we gave all your old clothes to Lexa,”

“Excuse me?” Lexa sounded offended. 

“For work! For God’s sake, you’re a fisherman! You’re supposed to wear rags,” 

“I’m going to say we should eat before you two sass each other to death,” Lincoln chuckled, leading his wife away. Clarke came up next to Lexa and smiled, wrapping the girl in a tight hug.

“Hi,” Lexa whispered. “Have fun?” She felt Clarke nod.

“I missed you,” Lexa admitted. “I think this may be the longest we’ve been separated,”

She heard Clarke sigh and shake her head. Lexa felt confused.

“It’s not?” She asked, pulling away. There was a sadness in Clarke’s eyes. “We’ve been apart longer than that?”

“Lex! Get in here, I’m starving,” Octavia called. Clarke took ahold of Lexa’s hands, leading her towards the dining room. Lincoln had laid out place settings and food for everyone, setting up a highchair for Forest.

“How come you’re not drinking wine?” Lexa asked as she sat down next to Clarke. Everyone had a glass but Octavia.

“For… reasons,” Octavia gave Lexa a sly smile. Realization dawned on the green eyed girl.

“Holy shit!” she gasped.

“Not in front of the baby! Jeez. Between you and Octavia his first words to me will be swears,” Lincoln groaned. Lexa ignored him.

“You’re pregnant?” 

“Correct,” Octavia smiled. Clarke clapped happily. “You’re the first person we’ve told,”

“Forest! You’re going to be a big brother!” Lexa beamed. The toddler looked at his aunt emotionless. Lexa’s smile faltered.

“Yeah, we don’t know how to interpret that,” Octavia said, frowning at her son. “He doesn’t seem happy or sad, he’s acting like he just doesn’t care,”

“Maybe he feels dread because he knows you’re going to name the baby something dumb like Meadow or Valley Woods,”

“Alexandria, I am about to kill you,”

-&-

Lexa fell into a routine again. But this time, Clarke was here. They would spend their mornings lounging around the house, then go out and do Lexa’s job, come back, and sit by the fire until bedtime. 

Since the days were getting shorter and colder, it was almost time for Lexa’s break from work. In the winters Lexa didn’t go out on the water as much due to the harsh winds and snow, so she was being more lenient with her schedule when the weather turned cold. She would take Clarke to the local town to show her things like the fall festivals and the leaves changing. They would spend the afternoon walking around hand in hand drinking hot chocolate, and the early nights at the hole-in-the-wall restaurants before heading back home. 

Lexa felt lighter. She smiled more, talked more (even if it was technically a one sided conversation), laughed more. Loved more.

Yes, Lexa was in love with Clarke. She was wholeheartedly, undeniably in love with Clarke.

She realized three months after Clarke showed up. Octavia and Lincoln were over again, Forest playing with Clarke in the living room. Octavia was with Lexa in the kitchen, a cup of tea in her hand.

“What are your plans for Thanksgiving? Bellamy and Echo are coming,” Octavia asked. “I need a headcount. So should I add two more?”

“Yep,” Lexa said, watching Clarke and Forest from the counter.

Octavia gave a sly grin, watching her sister-in-law. In the seven years that Octavia had known her, she had never seen Lexa in love.

“What about Christmas? New Years? Could I count on the two of you being there?”

“Yeah, go ahead,”

“How about Forest’s birthday in March? Oh, and can you two watch him when I go into labor?”

“Of course, Clarke loves him,”

“And how many guests do you want at your wedding?”

Lexa’s head snapped up, glaring at her “Octavia,”

“I mean you planned for every other big event,” Octavia grinned. “Only a matter of time. She’s been living here forever. What’s with that?”

Lexa sighed, putting her head in her hands. “I don’t know, O,”

“I do. It’s cause you’re in love with her,”

“Octavia, shut up,”

“Hey, you didn’t deny it. Take that leap. Embrace your feelings,” Octavia poked Lexa with her cup, to which Lexa swatted away, annoyed.

“I don’t _know_ my feelings. All I know is that when I see the future, she’s there right next to me. And I can’t imagine waking up one day without seeing her there smiling at me with that perfect face and eyes I want to _literally_ drown in. So you can mark her down for all the Christmases and Easters and Fourth of Julys and President’s Day or whatever bogus holiday you want, because I want her to stay with me until she gets sick of me and leaves,” Lexa ran her hand through her hair. She thought about what she just told Octavia. It wasn’t planned, it just all came out.

“Wow,” Octavia sips her tea. “That was gay,”

Lexa leaned on the counter, thinking about what she said. It was all true. She couldn’t imagine her future without Clarke being by her side. She wanted Clarke to stay with her. She wanted Clarke to _be_ with her.

“I’m in love with Clarke,” Lexa said. It was the first time she admitted it to herself.

“Congratulations, you’re officially the last one to know,”

“Get out of my house,”

“I can’t believe you’d kick a pregnant lady out in the snow, Commander,”

-&-

When Lincoln and Octavia left, Lexa sat herself down on the couch. She felt awkward, finally admitting to herself that she was in love with Clarke. But it didn’t feel that different. It felt like she put a name to the emotion that she feels whenever Clarke walks into the room. It’s the emotion that she feels when Clarke curls up to Lexa at night. It’s when Clarke smiles at her. It’s the way she smells, like the sea breeze and sunscreen. It’s her hair, her eyes, her silent giggles. It’s Clarke. _Clarke, Clarke, Clarke._

Clarke, the girl who is sitting right next to her with wide eyes and a curious look. 

“Hi,” Lexa smiled softly. Clarke reciprocated, taking Lexa’s hand in hers. She tilted her head to the side, which to Lexa means that she wants to know what she is thinking.

“I almost died once,” Lexa said. Clarke’s eyes widened. Whatever she expected Lexa to say, it wasn’t that.

“It happened when I was twenty one, and a commander in the navy. I was stationed off the shores of Hawaii. There was a huge storm and the boat got destroyed,” Lexa took a deep breath, the memories coming back to her. “No one on my ship survived. Except for me,”

“Remember that night you came to me?” Clarke nodded. “I was afraid that night. The storm from the accident was similar to the one that night. But when I saw you, standing out in the rain, I could have sworn I thought you were an angel,” She saw Clarke’s face become tinted with pink.

She continued. “And I’m not usually one to like other people around me, I’ve always been one of the loner types. That changed when I met you,”

Lexa looked down at their intertwined hands. She brought them up to her mouth and kissed them gently. “I wasn’t prepared for you. You came into my life and completely change it. You made me feel something for the first time in a while,”

Lexa looked up, into Clarke’s eyes that were brimming with tears. Her heart ached, wanting to kiss them away. “I thought I died on that ship, and I’ve just been getting by since. Not anymore, though. Not since you. With you, I’ve never felt more alive,”

She decided to take the leap. Her head moved down swiftly, connecting her lips to Clarke’s. 

Her body tingled with warmth, Clarke’s lips soft against her own. She felt hands on the back of her neck, pulling her closer. Lexa’s brain felt like it was exploding. Clarke pulled back, before tilting her head and going back in. This felt right. Lexa’s gay brain turned into a pile of mush. 

“Finally,”

Lexa agreed, smiling as she kissed Clarke again, and again, and again. It took a minute for her to register that that word was spoken out loud. 

Lexa pulled back. Surely she imagined that, right? She looked at Clarke, whose lips were kiss-swollen and hair mussled. Clarke smiled at her widely and nodded, signalling that Lexa did not imagine that.

“Hi,” Clarke said, clear as a bell. Lexa’s mouth dropped open in pure shock. “I love you,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lemme know what y'all think! message me on Tumblr at princessdianaofthemiscyra


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke's backstory
> 
> I wrote this while slightly drunk so I apologize if it seems discombobulated

“Tell me a story,”

“Of what, my child?”

“The world above,”

King Jake chuckled. “Any specific requests?”

“The sea who fell in love with the land,” the small mermaid said. 

“The tale of the mermaid and the human girl?” Clarke nodded. Her father had the girl sit on his lap, clearing his throat.

“Long ago when oceans were still fresh and the world was anew, there was a mermaid whose dream was to explore the world above, where the inhabitants walk on two legs and danced and ran and lived out their numbered days on dry land. The mermaid had heard stories of the peculiar creatures of the land through the legends the elders told her, about the immortal spirits of the humans that live on after the death of the body rather than the long life of the mermaid, who achieves no afterlife. She heard the stories of the great human conquerors and leaders and romantics and how, although they were dangerous to mermaids, the humans were passionate and beautiful beings, having a flame inside them that ignited their desire for adventure. The mermaid yearned for her twentieth year, as the law of the sea states that the merpeople could glimpse the world above for a moment at a safe distance from the humans, a tradition we still carry.

“On the mermaid’s twentieth, she ventured above, only to see a boat carrying passengers to what the humans call the new world. She heard music coming from the vessel and the laughs and jeers of the humans.The passengers on the boat were celebrating. They were drinking, and laughing, and being merry. But the thing that struck the mermaid most was a girl on the boat who was dancing. The girl’s dancing was the most beautiful thing the mermaid had ever laid eyes on. The mermaid followed the ship, determined to follow the girl to the ends of the earth if she had to. She knew she would be breaking the rules, but there was something in her heart that told her to do it anyways. And for good reason too. The human girl was the mermaid’s soulmate,”

“Like how Mama is yours?” Little Clarke interrupted. 

“Yes, sweetheart. Like how Mama is mine,”

“How do you know when you meet them?”

Jake smiled. “You just know. Although it’s very rare now. Many people do not believe in them now, saying how soulmates are whimsical fantasies meant for stories. But for ole saps like me, we still believe in them,”

“I do too,” Clarke nodded. “I hope they smell nice,”

Jake laughed at this, the odd comment of his daughter amusing him greatly. Clarke smiled, before yawning.

“Time for bed?” Jake asked.

“No, I want you to finish the story,” 

“Alright, sweetie. As I was saying, the human girl was the mermaid’s soulmate. You only get one of those in your lifetime, and for a merperson, that life lasted about three hundred years, while a human’s lasted maybe sixty at the time. But the mermaid didn’t care. She fell in love with the girl and the way she danced the minute she laid eyes on her, and she knew that she would spend the rest of her life loving her. Not before long, the rest of the passengers went to bed, but the girl stayed to look at the stars. It was then when the mermaid approached. The girl did not scream or flee, but rather accepted and met the mermaid with warmth and grace. The two spent the night learning of then other’s origins, and when the sun came up and the passengers stirred, the girl asked the mermaid to meet her at the docks of the new village she was going to. And the mermaid did. For years after that, the mermaid and human girl met in secret every day. Over time, the human girl fell in love with the mermaid, promising to never leave her.

“But one day, the human girl failed to show up, causing panic in the mermaid. The mermaid waited for hours for her to return to their spot, but the girl never came. The mermaid showed up day after day for hours, waiting for her to come back like she promised. It was weeks later when the mermaid learned the horrible truth. Sadly, her lover passed away, moving on to the next life the human soul ascends to after death. The mermaid girl wept, as she knew that her and her human lover would never be reunited. Her cries caused the oceans to churn at an intensity that sank thousands of ships. Her tears flooded the seas, which turned to salt and made it poisonous to drink. The gods heard the cries of the mermaid and saw the effect she was making on the sea. They took pity on her, and decided to grant her one wish. The gods thought the mermaid would ask for something superficial, like returning her lover from the grave or taking away the pain of loving her, but the mermaid asked for something different. She wanted an immortal soul, so that she may join her lover in the afterlife and live on for eternity. The gods granted her the wish, and the mermaid was reunited with the human girl to live for the rest of time in the afterlife,”

“Wow,” Clarke smiled. “And they were happy?”

“Yes, child. They were,”

-&-

Clarke waited eagerly for Raven and Wells to return. It was Raven’s twentieth birthday and Wells wanted to show her his favorite spots in the world above, promising to also take Clarke when her day arrived.

She swam back and forth in her chamber, antsy and restless to hear about the adventures and mischief her two best friends got themselves into. Clarke was jealous. She wanted for so long to see the human world, ever since she was small and listened to the tale of the mermaid and the girl from her father. Her parents refused to let her go up even the tiniest bit early, even though she was a royal.

(“You can’t go up early _because_ you are a royal,” Queen Abigail chided. “You need to set a good example for your people,”

“That’s seahorseshit,” Clarke grumbled. Abby glared at her.

“Little guppies are listening!” she scolded, gesturing to Clarke’s little sister Madi.)

Raven and Wells returned hours later, Wells taking the girl to see the sunset and stars on rocks near the Hawaiian islands. The two found themselves in Clarke’s bedroom, gushing about their experience.

“Oh my _gods_ , the world above is so cool!” Raven exclaimed. “The humans are so magnificent and dumb! And their villages! Wow. And space! Holy shit, space! It’s so fucking awesome!”

“Glad to see you enjoyed yourself,” Clarke chuckled. Raven nodded enthusiastically.

“I cannot wait for you to come with us, Princess! I seriously want to study all the quirks the strange humans have! They walk around wearing these things called _clothes_! Like to cover up their bodies? Can you believe? And they have _fire!_ That burns! And whenever it goes into water it goes away! Like I know the myths about it but I finally got to see it for myself and it _blew me away,_ ”

“Was I like this the first time I went above?” Wells asked. Clarke nodded.

“You were worse,”

“I can’t wait what you’ll do when you see the world above, Miss Humans-Fascinate-Me-More-Than-My-People,” Wells laughed.

“Can you blame me? Humans are fucking weird,” Clarke pushed Wells playfully. “I have to see them for myself,”

-&-

Wells and Raven decided to take Clarke to the world above the minute she turned twenty. She woke up at midnight on her birthday to two hands hoisting her out of her bedchamber and into the open ocean.

“Happy twentieth, Princess!” Raven cheered. “Ready?”

“For what?” Clarke asked groggily, rubbing her eyes.

“Adventures! Humans! Seeing land and the beautiful idiot grounders that inhabit it!” 

“They probably won’t appreciate you calling them idiots,” Wells said quietly.

“It’s not like any of them are gonna find out. Let’s go! We’re taking you to the places Wells took me. It’s going to be such a fun time!”

-&-

It was not a fun time.

First off, when the three friends broke surface, there was a lightning storm and waves crashing like all hell broke loose. Lights flickered in the darkness, Clarke could see that they were coming from a ship.

The ship was huge, but in the storm, it was being tossed around like seaweed in a current. The passengers on the ship were screaming and running around, some being flung off the boat as it was fighting the churning waters while others ran under for cover.

There was a girl on the ship who, Clarke noticed, refused to run for shelter. Instead, she worked on tying things down and helping her companions not die. She yelled and ordered and _commanded,_ getting drenched from the rain and being flung around from the churning waters.

Raven whistled next to Clarke. “Wow. Hot. I like a girl who calls the shots,”

“They’re going to die,” Clarke murmured, eyes still on the ship.

“Humans aren’t meant to be at sea. It must be their time,” Wells said grimly. “Let’s go, this is no place for us,”

Clarke’s eyes couldn’t leave the girl. “I have to help,”

“We can’t interact with humans, you know this,” Wells said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Then it happened.

The mermaid winced as she saw an object pierce the girl’s abdomen, causing her to double over in pain. She gripped the railing of the ship, trying to keep herself balanced. A wave then came to rock the boat, causing the girl to slip

She was thrown off the ship, crashing into the water. Clarke saw her feebly try to tread water, but the waves pulled her under. Blood seeped through her wound as the water engulfed her, filling her mouth and lungs as her attempts of swimming became weaker. 

Clarke felt her heart rise to her throat as she saw the human girl sink deeper and deeper into the water, eyes fluttering closed as she gave up her fight. Clarke sped forward, ignoring the protests from Wells and Raven as she swam towards the drowning girl, picking her up in her arms. Adrenaline pulsed through her as she was heading towards somewhere, anywhere. She wanted the human girl to be safe. No, she _needed_ her to be.

The human girl was limp in Clarke’s arms, head lolling to the side.

_Please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead_

Clarke found herself placing the girl on the sand. Her body was limp and cold, her face pale. Clarke could sense her body was full of water. Clarke put her hand over the girl’s stomach, moving it upward and feeling the water move with it. When she got to the human’s mouth the girl jolted forward, retching out the water that was formerly in her body.

The girl fell back feebly, eyes shut and breath shallow. Clarke lightly slapped her face.

“C’mon, c’mon, wake up,” Clarke murmured. The girl’s eyes opened slightly, peering into Clarke’s blue ones.

Clarke saw her life flash before her. But it wasn’t exactly _her_ life. It was different. She saw herself walking on land with the girl right next to her. She saw the two of them dancing around in a room with only the light of the moon. She saw the girl gazing down at her as Clarke held a bundle of blankets that wrapped a small child. She saw a life with her.

And the girl was unconscious again. But she was alive. Thank the gods, she was alive.

“Clarke!” she heard Wells shout. “What the hell? Get back here!”

 

“You’ve done it now,” Raven sighed. 

Clarke didn’t care. For some reason, she didn’t care.

_May we meet again._

-&-

“What did you do? What did I teach you not to do! _‘Do not contact humans!’_ It’s literally the first thing on the mermaid syllabus!” Marcus Kane yelled at the trio. Clarke winced.

She knew she fucked up. Majorly. But did she regret it? Absolutely not.

“It was on the syllabus!” her old teacher and advisor to her father repeated.

“That’s enough,” Jake said. “The important thing is that there were no witnesses. You’re incredibly lucky about that, Clarke,”

“What about the girl?” Kane pointed out. 

“If the injuries were anything like how Wells described, she’d be dead by morning,”

“No,” Clarke gasped quietly. The girl couldn’t be dead, right? Clarke _saved_ her.

“Actually, a small blow to the abdomen should be non-lethal. She may survive,” Abby pointed out. “Her kind would make it seem like hysteria. A fluke accident that caused visions. Nothing we aren’t used to,”

Abby looked at Clarke disapprovingly. “Still, it was an incredibly risky and stupid thing to do,”

“I know,” Clarke said. “And I am sorry. Mother, Father, ...Kane, please forgive me,”

“Of course, Clarke,” her father gave her a small grin. “You really started your twentieth year with a splash, huh?”

The adults swam away, Kane still muttering _’It was on the syllabus.’_

Raven smacked Clarke on the upside of her head. “What were you thinking?”

“Rae, not now,”

“Yes now! Do you know how fucking dumb you were? We’re not supposed to intervene with human affairs!” Clarke swam past her, brushing her off. “Come back here! I’m not done bitching yet!”

-&-

Raven swam through the palace halls, Wells right next to her. The two of them stopped in front of a private room near the working area of the palace. Raven pushed open the doors to find Clarke right where she expected, in front of a painting slab. 

It had been a month since the incident with the human girl, and ever since, Clarke had been painting memories from that night. There was the ship in the storm, the girl falling in the water, the sky crackling with lightning above as the waves tossed and turned, and about half a dozen paintings of the girl. Raven saw that Clarke was currently working on a painting of a close up of the girl’s face, something she’d been working on for what seemed like ages.

“Clarke,” Wells said. “It’s time to take a break,”

“I can’t,” Clarke grunted. “I’ll forget what she looks like. Need to keep working,”

“Princess, you’ve been locked in here for days. People think you’re dead,” Raven whistled at the painting. “She looks likes she’s sleeping,”

“Let them think whatever they want,” Clarke’s eyes never left the painting. “I’m not leaving here until I’m done,” 

“Fine, then we aren’t either,” Raven stubbornly sat on the ground, tail flipping absentmindedly. “Jaha, sit,”

“You’re going to go insane if you don’t leave this room anytime soon,” Wells chided, sitting next to Raven. “It’s not healthy,” 

“Just have to finish,” Clarke murmured. 

“What was so important about this chick anyways?” Raven questioned, looking at Clarke work. The blonde didn’t answer. Raven got up and snatched the painting off the easel.

“What the fuck! Give that back!” Clarke screamed, lunging at Raven. Raven swam out of the way, holding the painting behind her.

“Not until you tell me what’s up with you!”

“Give it!” 

“No,” Clarke huffed and whipped her tail angrily, eyes hardening. She sighed, running a hand through her hair.

“Raven, she… I _saw_ something, okay? With her. I saw what my life would be like with her. And I liked it. I _want_ it. And I’ve been wracking my brain ever since trying to figure out how to get it,”

Raven and Wells shared a look. Raven laughed. “That’s crazy, you’d have to become a human,”

“I know. Which is impossible. So for now, I paint,”

“Might not be impossible. You can meet with a Sea Witch,” Wells suggested.

“That’s just an old legend,” Clarke scoffed.

“Actually it’s not,” Wells said. “At least, not according to the rumors. They say one emerged about ten years ago, but she’s hard to locate. She only lets you find her when she wants to be found,”

“Seriously?” For the first time in a long time, Clarke’s eyes showed hope. 

“Yes,” 

“Well we have to find her!”

 

“Did you hear him, Princess? He said she’ll be found if she wants to be found. Imagine how stressful her life must be if people keep barging in demanding requests from her,” Raven shuddered. “Not the kind of life I wanna live,”

“Rae, we have to try,” Clarke pleaded. She needed to find the Sea Witch. More than anything. Clarke was determined to find the witch and have her help Clarke be with her soulmate. She didn’t care how long it took.

-&-

Four years.

It took the three of them four years to find this damned witch.

Or, more specifically, it took four years for the witch to allow herself to be found.

Clarke came into her chambers one night to see a glowing seashell on her bed. On it was inscribed _One Way Ticket: Luna_

“We did it! Thank the gods,” Wells cheered. Raven agreed.

“About damn time the Sea Bitch made an appearance,” Raven cracked her knuckles. “Let’s go, we’re not spending another minute waiting for her,”

“Hang on, we don’t know how this thing works,” Wells pointed out. He gingerly took the shell into his hand, turning it over. “I think Clarke should hold it and we hold onto her. Maybe it would take all of us,”

He handed the shell to Clarke before taking ahold of her arm. Raven did the same.

“Here goes nothing,” Clarke broke the seashell in half.

It felt like the water was knocked out of her and she was thrown into the strongest current of her life. She thrashed and moved as the water rushed past her ears and her stomach dropped. Her head was spinning when she came to, she was in a grotto, Wells and Raven beside her.

“I feel like I might be seasick,” Raven groaned next to her. Clarke silently agreed. Wells was sprawled out a few feet away on his back. 

“Do _not_ throw up here,” a voice said. Clarke and Raven looked to the left. A mermaid was over by a table, hunched over a pot. “I invite you here and the first thing you do is yak all over my home? Rude,”

“Are you the Sea Witch?” Clarke asked eagerly.

“Ugh, don’t call me a witch. Call me a sorcerer. Sounds more mysterious. Witch just reminds me of an old hag,” the girl shuddered, swimming over to the trio. “I’m Luna. Is your friend okay?”

“I’m fine,” Wells groaned, still on the ground. “Just give me a minute,”

“I’ve heard you’ve been looking for me,” Luna smirked at Clarke. “I’m flattered that someone of such royal status wants to get her hands dirty with magic,”

“It took you _four fucking years-_ ”

“Raven, shut up,” Clarke snapped. The last thing she wanted was to insult the one person who could potentially help her. 

“Don’t worry about it, I know it’s been a long time,” Luna shrugged. “Heard about what it was you wanted about two years ago, needed some time to figure how to make it. Finally finished, so I called you in,” 

“Holy mother of Triton,” Raven mumbled. “About time,” 

Luna walked over to a silvery basin, filling it with a dark liquid. “You’re looking for your soulmate, correct? In the human world?”

“Yes,” Clarke replied. “Can you help me?”

Luna waved her hand over the basin. “This her?”

Clarke looked into the pool. She felt her heart speed up as she saw the familiar face of her soulmate. She was in a room by herself, sleeping on a bed with her hair perfectly framing her face. She looked angelic. 

“Yes,” Clarke said breathlessly. “It’s her,”

“Alexandria Alycia Woods, former commander in the United States Navy. Twenty-five years old. Resides in Massachusetts. Fisherman,” Luna listed off, standing slightly behind Clarke.

“Do you think she’ll remember you?” Wells asked. 

“Course she does. Clarke’s the whole reason the twerp’s still kicking,” Raven said. Clarke brushed this off.

“Here’s what I can do,” Luna cracked her knuckles. She produced a small vial of purple liquid. “Drink this when you’re ready. You’ll get legs and a soul in exchange for your tail and about 200 years of life, give or take,”

Clarke snatched the vial out of her hand, ready to down it. Wells clamped his hand over Clarke’s mouth to prevent the potion to make contact and took the vial. Clarke squirmed around in protest, trying to get out of his grip.

“What’s the catch?” Wells asked warily. “There’s no way it’s that easy,”

“Smart,” Luna observed. “You’re right. You see, Your Highness, Majesty, Wetness- whatever. You’re not going to be able to talk,”

Wells slowly removed his hand from Clarke’s mouth, which was agape. “Like, ever?”

“No, not necessarily,” Luna explained. “You’ll get your voice back, but only once Commander Heart Eyes kisses you. It’s one of the payments,”

“That’s it? All we have to do is kiss? Easy,” Clarke smiled. She took the vial back from Wells. “Now, I’m-”

“No, not easy,” Luna interrupted. “ _You_ can’t kiss her. She has to initiate it. If you kiss her first, the spell won’t be lifted. You’ll still be silent. That’s the price”

“And what if she doesn’t kiss me at all? Would there be a price if I’m exploring the human world but she doesn’t kiss me?” Clarke asked.

“The price would be living out your human days in silence, knowing that your soulmate doesn’t love you. You’ll be stuck as a human with no voice and no powers. And you can never return to your family and those who know who you are,”

_Oh._

That would be awful. Just the thought of that made Clarke’s heart ache. 

“Tough shit,” Raven whistled. 

“Are you sure this is what you want, Clarke?” Wells asked.

Clarke weighed her options. She could stay with her family, with her friends. She could live out the rest of her long mermaid life ruling the Seven Seas, marry her betrothed, Finn, and create the next heirs to the family line. She could be comfortable with what she knows, be safe and contempt with what she has, before her death comes and she would cease to exist.

Or, she could take a chance.

She could go to the human world and be with her soulmate, where the girl, this _Alexandria_ (even the name was beautiful to Clarke), could fall in love with her. She could experience the life of a human, to learn of their ways and their adventures, and when she dies she could live on forever in the spirit world, possibly with Alexandria by her side.

“It’s what I want,” Clarke confirmed. She reached towards her money pouch. “How much?”

“No need, it’s on me,” Luna insisted. Clarke mouth dropped open. “Let’s just say I’m a sucker for a love story. Must be from that story my parents told me about this mermaid and her human lover,”

“My father used to tell me that,” Clarke remembered sadly. She felt her eyes brim with tears. “I’m going to have to say goodbye to them, don’t I,”

“Is that a good idea? They’d probably try to stop you,” Raven reasoned. “And we’ve gotten so far…”

Clarke thought of her mom, her dad, Madi. She thought of the hurt and confusion that would flood them if she just straight up disappeared. She had to see them, just one last time.

-&-

Clarke hesitantly swam into the dining room of the palace. Her family were sitting at the table, talking amongst themselves quietly. 

“Madi, you can’t just bring a _wild shark-_ ”

“I said I was sorry Mom! And in my defense, I didn’t know it was wild,” the thirteen year old mermaid defended.

“But you wanted to raise it as a pet,”

“I don’t see the problem with that,”

“Hello, Clarke,” Jake greeted from the head. The two mermaids fell silent, smiling at the blonde.

“How nice of you to join us. It’s been a while since we’ve had a family dinner, with you always being holed up in the art ward,” Abby said, slightly judgemental.

Clarke felt her heart break. She had been distant, hadn’t she? And now she was going to leave them. She was such a shitty daughter. “Sorry,”

“Have you been crying?” Madi asked. “You don’t look great,”

“Madi,” Abby warned.

“It’s okay,” Clarke said. “I… need to talk to you guys,”

“Are you pregnant?”

“Madison!” 

“Sorry, Mom,” 

Clarke laughed. “No, definitely not pregnant,”

Jake looked at Clarke sadly. “You’re going, aren’t you. Up there?”

Clarke was taken aback. “How did you know?”

“Ever since that night with the humans. You changed. You became more engrossed with the human world, more than usual. And you’ve been really sad, heartbroken even,”

“You noticed? How come you didn’t say anything?”

“You’ve been different,” Jake sighed. “Of course we’ve noticed. You’re like a shell of the person you were before,”

“You became less fun. It’s super depressing,” Madi shrugged.

“Madison! That’s rude,” Abby scolded. 

“Tell me I’m wrong,” Madi challenged. Jake brushed the two of them off.

“We just want you to be happy,” Jake told his eldest. “And if it’s being in the human world is what it’s going to take, then so be it,”

Clarke pulled her family into a hug, keeping them close. She knew that this was the last time she would see them in a long time. “I love you guys,”

“I’m glad you found your soulmate, Clarke,” Jake said, smiling through his tears. “And honey?”

“Yes?”

“I hope she smells nice,”

-&-

**Present**

“You… can speak?” Lexa said dumbly.

“I can now but I’d rather not,” Clarke kissed Lexa again, long and hard. “I love you. I wanted to say that for such a long time. I love you, Lexa,”

“I-” Lexa barely got a word out before Clarke was attacking her mouth again. Although it pained her, Lexa had to pull back.

“What is happening?”

“You broke the spell,”

“What spell?”

“The one the Sea Witch, wait, um, Sea Sorcerer gave to me. You had to kiss me in order for me to get my voice back,”

“That’s literally the plot of _The Little Mermaid,_ I read you that book,”

Clarke’s face beamed. “Yes! Because it’s based off of real events! I’m a mermaid,”

Lexa’s face showed an array of emotions. Clarke found it hard to read them.

“You’re mocking me,”

Clarke’s brows furrowed. “What? Lexa, no-”

“You’re making fun of me. Because I told you that I believed in them when I was younger. And that ‘true love’s kiss’ bullshit is some sick joke. I don’t know where you’re getting off on this but it’s sick. I can’t believe that you would- after all this time- I mean, I was going to tell you I _love_ you-”

“Lexa, stop,” 

“You’re unbelievable 

“ _Lexa,_ ” Clarke pleaded. “I swear to you, I’m not lying. I would never lie to you, I love you,” 

“Stop!” Lexa covered her ears with her hand. “You’re lying! Why are you doing this? I-”

Clarke grabbed Lexa and was dragging her outside, ignoring the protests falling out of Lexa’s mouth. She dragged her to the docks, kneeling at the edge of the wooden plank.

“Raven!”

“Fuck! It’s freezing!” Lexa gasped, pulling her sweatshirt off and wrapping it around Clarke’s shoulders. (She didn’t know why, she was _mad_ at her)

“Raven!” 

“What are you doing?” 

“ _Raven!_ ”

“Relax, Princess. I heard you the first time,”

Lexa’s mouth fell open but no scream came out. A girl had come up from the water, leaning her arms on the dock. She smirked at Lexa.

“This her?” the girl asked, flicking her tail up. “Looks kinda different when she’s dry,”

(The girl had a tail. Oh god, the girl had a tail. _Why did the girl have a tail?_ )

“Raven, she doesn’t believe me,” Clarke said. She looked at Lexa. “Do you now?”

“Of course she doesn’t. Their small human minds are incapable of comprehending something so incredible. I expected this,” Raven flipped her hair to the side. “Also, congrats on the voice! Didn’t know it would take this long for it to happen. Better late than never, I guess. Nice clothes. How do they feel?”

“It took some time to get used to, but they’re warm. Soft. I think I like them,”

“Weird, I can’t imagine having anything cover me. Is your human okay?” Raven gestured towards Lexa, who stood with a look of panic and shock.

“Lexa,”

“Holy fucking shit,” Lexa gaped. “You have a tail,”

“Last time I checked, yeah,” 

“Why… why do you have a tail?”

“Wow, humans really are dumb,” Raven shook her head. “Anyways, Princess, how’s life been? Wells and I miss you and you’re annoyingness. Finn tried to make a move on me immediately after you left, too. And your father is having Madi stay by his side every day so she can learn the ins and outs of being the next ruler. Besides that, things are pretty much the same. How’s the human? Did you tell her about the night you saved her?” 

This snapped Lexa out of her shock. “ _Saved_ me?”

“From drowning. The whole catalyst for this shebang,”

_I knew it_ Lexa thought. “Clarke…”

“Anyways, anything else you forgot to tell her?” 

“Clarke,” Lexa put a hand on her shoulder. Clarke’s eyes shot up, gazing into Lexa’s eyes. “You saved me?”

Clarke nodded sheepishly.

“I- wow. Thank you,” 

“It was nothing,” Clarke shifted her feet. “You would have done the same for me,”

Lexa pulled Clarke into a hug, molding their bodies together. She felt Clarke melt into the hug, holding Lexa even closer.

“Well, my work is done. Goodbye,” Raven smirked, sinking back down into the water. 

“We should go inside,” Lexa murmured. “You must be cold,”

“I’m perfectly fine where I am,” Clarke sighed into Lexa’s neck.

“Okay, but I’m cold,” Lexa untangled herself from Clarke, taking her by the hands and leading her back towards the house. She found herself in her bedroom, Clarke sitting down on the bed. Lexa stood awkwardly a few feet away.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you before,” she said quietly. “It… hurt me. That I thought you were mocking me. It hurt because I lo-... because you’re you,”

“Lexa,” Clarke took her by the hands. “Do you believe in soulmates?”

“I… don’t know,”

“I do,” Clarke said. “And I know you’re mine. I knew since the moment I saw your eyes on the beach all those years ago. And I knew that I couldn’t spend my life without you. I love you. I fall more and more in love with you every day. You’re my soulmate. You’re mine,”

The words sent a shudder through Lexa’s spine. “I knew I saw your eyes when I drowned. I saw those blue, cerulean eyes. I thought you were an angel,”

“I’m flattered, but that’s not the mythical creature I am,” Clarke smirked. Lexa laughed. 

“I… don’t want you to think I’m saying this because of newfound revelations, but… before, when we were… kissing, I told you that… that I feel… _alive_ when I’m with you. And I can’t imagine what it would be like without you. And I see us, years from now, together. Maybe with a dog, and kids. I can’t remember what it was like before you came into my life, but I know I never want to be reminded,” Lexa saw Clarke’s eyes glaze over. “I guess what I’m saying is… I love you, Clarke. And not because I found out you saved me or are my soulmate or whatever. I fell in love with _you._ I’ve been for a while now. And honestly? It scares me. When I thought you were mocking me, my heart broke. I thought… maybe I read things wrong. Maybe you didn’t like me and was making fun of me. I’m so sorry I ever doubted you. I swear, I’ll never make that mistake again. I love you,”

“Come here,” Clarke said, pulling Lexa onto the bed. Clarke beamed up at Lexa. “I love you,” She started to undo the buttons of Lexa’s shirt before reaching down for the girl’s jeans. “Is this okay?”

Lexa’s mouth was dry. Of all the crazy shit that happened to her tonight, this by far was the last thing she expected. “Yes, but, we don’t have to-”

“I want to,” Clarke kissed Lexa’s nose. “But only if you do,”

“I do,”

“Good,” Clarke smirked, taking off her shirt and mentally noting that she was going to tease Lexa later about the choked noise the green eyed girl made before gently pushing her down on the bed. “Soulmates shouldn’t be seperated,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter will be the epilogue. thank you for your feedback, it makes me so happy that other people enjoyed this idea as much as I did!  
> I hope you like the story of the mermaid and the human girl in the beginning, I made it up and hope it fit the story!!!  
> come bug me on tumblr: princessdianaofthemiscyra


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